Following the launch of the LG V40 ThinQ in October 2018, the next LG device set to grace us with its presence is the LG G8. This is everything we know so far about the LG G8.

LG G8 release date and price

MWC 2019 announcement expected

24 February rumoured

The LG G8 is expected to be revealed at Mobile World Congress - a show that takes place in Barcelona at the end of February.

LG has used MWC in the past as a launch platform, though it didn't for the LG G7 ThinQ - the device preceding the LG G8. Korean news source Electronic Times published an alleged LG device timetable however, indicating the LG G8 will be announced at MWC 2019, with availability claimed to follow in March.

The mobile show takes place between 25-28 February this year, though LG has been known to hold its press conference the day before, like Samsung. We could therefore see the LG G8 announced on 24 February, and though nothing is officially confirmed as yet, ETNews has reported this will be the case.

The LG G7 ThinQ cost £599 at launch, which is quite a bit cheaper than its main competitors. We don't expect the LG G8 to be cheaper than the G7 ThinQ, but we'd expect it to sit within the same ballpark.

Design and display

Waterdrop display reported

4K resolution?

Solid, waterproof design expected

The LG G7 ThinQ offers a solid, metal and glass design and we'd expect the LG G8 to follow suit. We're also expecting to see IP68 water and dust resistance, MIL-STD-810G drop protection and a 3.5mm headphone jack - the latter of which many smartphones have removed.

There has been talk of the LG G8 offering a waterdrop display though, like the OnePlus 6T, which would be an improvement on the notched screen featured on both the LG G7 ThinQ and the LG V40 ThinQ.

91mobiles

That said, some recent renders, created by @OnLeaks for 91Mobiles suggest the LG G8 will come with a notch like the Pixel 3 XL at the top of the display, a fingerprint sensor on the rear and a dual camera in a horizontal array. If true, it would mean the LG G8 wouldn't follow many of the 2019 trends.

It is not yet clear whether the renders are completely different to what we can expect from the LG G8, which is unlikely, or whether some details are not accurate.

No details on size have leaked as yet, but we are expecting a screen around the 6-inch mark with a good screen-to-body ratio. LG opted for LCD in its previous G-series devices, with OLED reserved for its V-series and rumour has it this won't change for 2019.

Way back in June 2018, leaker Ice Universe claimed LG will offer a 4K-resolution LCD display on the LG G8. No further leaks have since appeared to support the claim but Ice Universe has been right in the past so you never know.

LG G8 camera

Rumours have been thin on the ground so far regarding the LG G8's camera, though there has been a claim we will see a "3D camera" on the new device. No specifics were revealed however.

Aside from that, we wouldn't be surprised to see LG adopt the same camera system as it used on the LG V40 ThinQ, which offers three lenses on the rear and two on the front. That said, with a waterdrop screen rumoured for the G8, it might be tricky to fit two camera lenses in that drop.

The LG G7 ThinQ has a single front camera and a dual rear camera so LG could stick with that setup too, offering improvements rather than additional lenses. The renders from @OnLeaks suggest this might be the case but with the dual camera flipping to horizontal rather than vertical. Nothing is confirmed as yet though.

Whatever camera specifications LG opts to include on the G8, we certainly expect to see the AI Cam on board, which uses artificial intelligence to deliver the best shot possible.

Hardware specifications

Qualcomm SD855?

At least 4GB RAM and 64GB storage

Hopefully battery improvements

LG has a long-standing partnership with Qualcomm, opting for the company's latest Snapdragon platforms in its flagship devices. With Qualcomm announcing the SD855 chip in December 2018, we're expecting this to be the platform LG includes in the LG G8.

We'd expect at least 4GB of RAM, like the LG G7 ThinQ and we'd also expect at least 64GB of internal storage with microSD expansion. We wouldn't be too surprised to see an increase in RAM to match the LG V40 ThinQ at 6GB and an increase in storage capacity as standard wouldn't be too surprising either. Both the LG G7 and the LG V40 support 2TB microSD cards so we'd expect the G8 to do the same.

In terms of battery capacity, we'd like to see an improvement on the LG G7 ThinQ as this is an area it didn't excel in when we reviewed it, and with some flagship smartphones now surpassing the 4000mAh mark, an increase from the G7's 3000mAh would certainly be welcome for the G8.

We're also expecting a focus on audio for the LG G8, as the company has done in its previous flagship smartphones. Rumour has it LG might offer a speaker under the display - something that is also rumoured for the Samsung Galaxy S10. This would potentially mean slimmer bezels around the display.

According to my sources, #LGG8 will feature Sound on Display (SoD) technology...